


Brewing Up Ballum

by Wolves_of_Innistrad



Category: EastEnders (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, M/M, Retelling, i guess?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 20:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20972231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolves_of_Innistrad/pseuds/Wolves_of_Innistrad
Summary: A retelling of Ballum's story if they'd met at Hogwarts as teens instead.  (yeah I know a bunch of shit would be different without their past stuff but let me HAVE this!)





	Brewing Up Ballum

Callum is Head Boy, 7th year, Gryffindor, despite having told the hat he felt he belonged in Hufflepuff it sorted him into Gryffindor. He’s “dating” Whitney Dean, Head Girl, 7th year, Hufflepuff. 

He’s particularly adept at healing and defensive magic and charms, hopes to work at St. Mungo’s or somewhere of the sort. He’s a Halfblood, who grew up with his muggle father who was incredibly abusive towards him and his squib brother.

Ben is a 6th year, a Prefect which no one would believe except for having Slughorn wrapped around his finger. Everyone else knows Ben’s one of the worst troublemakers the school has had since the Weasley’s and that he’s best friends with Peeves. His other friends are Jay and Lola.

Ben fancies himself a tough guy duelist and longs to be an auror. However, while he’s a genius at hexes and jinxes and offensive magic, he knows practically no defensive spells, or simply refuses to use them making him a glass cannon in fights.

Callum’s Hogwarts career has been incredibly bland, he stays focused on his work, especially because of his halfblood status he feels he needs to be the best he can. There’s also the unresolved sexuality problem that he’s trying to ignore. He made prefect and then Head Boy in his final year.

Ben on the other hand had a tumultuous time, starting out on high as the pureblood son of a long line of wizards, a troublemaker but charismatic and bright which meant he moved quickly up the Slytherin social ladder. However multiple incidents, including finding out his mother was really a muggle and thus making him a halfblood, a few pranks gone too far, and drama surrounding him coming out as gay (and having been in a short lived relationship with a Hufflepuff, Paul), have tarnished his reputation among his own housemates leaving him a black sheep (snake? Sneep?). The fact he’s Slytherin and a manipulative troublemaker doing him in with the rest aside from his few close friends like Jay and Lola, and the teachers he’s won over like Slughorn.

The first time Ben and Callum really meet in on the ride to Hogwarts when Callum is introduced as Head Boy and is charged with instructing the prefects.

The moment he sees Ben he tries not to roll his eyes as the entire student body know about his ways, and as a Slytherin Callum dislikes him even more.

“So we get to use that special bathroom yeah? It’s private?”

Callum’ head snaps to Ben and he grimaces. “Yes, and its also a privilege, so don’t go abusing it.”

“Who said I was going to abuse it?”

Ben gets up, moving towards Callum before Whitney intervenes.

“Settle down boys. We aren’t having the prefects and Head Boy and Girl fighting.”

“Weren’t no one fighting with you.” Ben’s eyes are as sharp as his tongue when he turns to her.

“And you best not, or you’ll be lying on your back, and not in the way you enjoy.”

A vein bulges in Ben’s forehead and Callum sees his fingers itching for his wand so he intervenes.

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry If I offended ya, it wasn’t meant to be anything against you. Just, we’ve had problems in the past. Besides, It’s not my problem to watch the bathrooms, Filch can handle that.”

Ben smirks at Whitney before turning to go sit back down.

After that things are normal, for the most part. It’s only when he catches someone selling bootleg Felix Felicis potions out of their dorm room that Callum has problems.

“I know you ain’t made this. It weren’t even in your textbooks, you’re a third year, and I doubt you’re no potions genius.”

The kid is too scared to tell what happens so he ends up taking a few points from Slytherin, but he knows there has to be another culprit. 

After some sleuthing of his own he sees the kid meeting with none other than Ben Mitchell, handing off a few sickles and taking a few more bottles of fake luck in return.

As soon as the kid leaves he confronts him.

“Ben Mitchell!”

Ben audibly sighs, shoulders sagging in his robes as he turns to see Callum.

“Yeah?”

“I knew it was you. That poor third year is losing points and getting detention for selling fake potions that you’re supplying him!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m a prefect, I’d never do such a thing.”

“I just watched you, caught you red handed, or gold handed haven’t I?”

Ben doesn’t see a way out of this so he backs up, taking a few steps before he’s off at a run.

“Get back here!”

“Stupefy!”

“Protego!”

They trade spells, Ben whittling off an impressive list of hexes, jinxes and minor curses, some of which Callum’s never even heard of before and wonders if Ben didn’t invent himself.

However Callum dodge, counters or negates each of them with his impressive.

It’s only as both boys hurl one last spell at each other “Locomotor Mortis!” “Incarcerous!” that neither manages to avoid the other.

The spells hit at once, with Callum stumbling forward, legs locked together and falling directly on top of a prone Ben that’s ensnared by invisible bindings.

Their hands bang together, busting Ben’s lip and leaving a bruise on Callum’s cheek.

“Got you!” Callum says, triumphant as he peers down at Ben.

“I got you too Head Boy,” Ben smirks, even if he’s restrained his mouth has free reign. “Course if you want me to make that title literal so nobody hears about this I’m open to offers…”

Callum’s face flashes with a multitude of emotions, disgust, fear, arousal, confusion, before finally settling on firm.

“I’m not letting you off the hook.”

“Too bad,” Ben says, and he doesn’t miss the way Callum is staring at him, their bodies are right on top of each other and while neither can move freely, Callum hasn’t made an effort to get off him.

“Gonna keep me pinned down here? You like tying up prefects, using that power Halfway?”

It’s clear his words are affecting Callum, and before he can move off him Ben leans up with what little range of motion he has.

“I smell queer…”

Callum rolls off him, embarrassed and flustered.

“You’re going to smell like bat dung with how many hours of detention you’ll get for this.”

Callum gets to work undoing the hex on his legs as Ben continues to prattle on.

“Slughorn loves me, at worst I have to clean a few cauldrons, at best he teaches me how to make something new and fun and dangerous.”

“Then I’ll take it to McGonagall”

Ben’s smirk fades for a moment before he lets his eyes go soft, drawing in hitching breaths.

“Headmistress I… I don’t know what’s going on. I was just, I, I was just strolling down the corridor and he, he attacked me, immobilized me. He through himself on top of me and I… I was so scared I didn’t know what to do. I tried to fight back but he, he,” Ben falters, a few fake tears falling down his cheeks and Callum is furious.

“You wouldn’t, shed never believe that!”

“I can be very convincing. Besides, wouldn’t want Whitney dearest, miss Head Girl to find out her boyfriend has a thing for wands, would you?”

Callum is afraid and angry, but he’s not sure what he can do to stop Ben at this point so he lets him go, undoing his curse.

“If I catch you again-”

“You’ll what Halfway? Polish my wand? Or you know a spell to kiss my lip better?” Ben grins, touching the hint of blood on his busted lip.

Callum storms off, hoping he never has to deal with Ben again.

Maybe he should have bought some of the bootleg luck potion, because it’s the only way he’d be that lucky.


End file.
